Engine-starter.



E. F. PRUEHBEGK.

ENGINE STARTER.

APPLICATION FILED 111111.14, 1913,

Patented June 2, 1914,

WITNESSES:

'lill lli lid

EDGAR F. FRUEHIBECK, F MARFA, TEXAS.

ananas.,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Paten-ted J une 2, 1914.

Application tiled hug-ust k14, 1913. Serial No. 734,677.

To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that 1,! EDGAR l?. FRUEH- encn, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Marta, in county of Presidio and State of Texas,have invented cert-ain new and useful Improvements in Engine-Start ers,of which the followingis a specification.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements'in enginestarters, and has more particular relation to starters Stor intermal,combustion engines.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of the characterdescribed which is operated by compressed air and which may be broughtinto operative connection with the ily 'wheel of the engine to bestarted, whereby said ily wheel is rotated.

Another' object of the invention resides in the provision of a mechanismwhich in turn is operated by the ily wheel ci the engine, while saidengine is in motion, and which is provided to maintain a sudicientdegree of compression in the storage tank.

A 'further feature of the invention resides in the provisin oi amechanism which will automatically connect the compressing niechan'smwith the dy wheel of the engine when the compression in the storage tankis lowered to a predetermined point.

`With Vthe above and other objects in view, the invention has particularrelation to certain novel features ot construction, operation andarrangement ol.E parts, an example of which isgiven in thisspecification and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, whereintheligure shows a side elevation of the device, partially in section.

Referring particularly to the drawing, the numeral l indicates a supply.pipe which leads from a suitable compression reservoir, or chamber, ofthe usual and well known construction, and which it has not been thoughtnecessary to illustrate in the drawing.

The numeral 2 designates a turbine wheel which is rigidly mounted on theshaft 3 and is inclosed by the casing 4.

Suitable reducing gears 5 and 6 are provided, the former of which isrigidly mount ed upon the shaft 3 and the latter of which is rigidlymounted upon the drive shaft 7. said gears internieshing and beinginclosed by the casing 8 which is cast integral with the casing 4.- Saidcasings are provided with suitable bearings for the shafts 3 and 7, asshown.. The shaft 7 is provided with a loosely mounted drive wheel 9which is in rolling cont-act with the fly wheel of the engine,indicated'in dotted lines. rlhe shaft Z extends back a`considerabledistance and rotates in the alined bearings 10 and 11, formed in thesupporting frame work of the device, and slidably mounted thereon, butkeyed thereto so as to rotate therewith is `the clutch member l2',forming with the drivewheel 9 lthe ordinarycone friction clutch and bymeans of which the drive shaft 7 may be clutched with or de clutchedfrom said drive wheel 9.

Two compression cylinders 13 and 14 are provided, which may be castintegral, if it is so desired, and each of which are provided with airinlets, numbered, respectively, 15 and 1G. These cylinders are providedwith pistons 17 and 18 which are driven through the respective pistonrods 19 and 20, pivoted at one end to their respective pistons and attheir other ends to the respective wrists 21 and 22, of the -shalt 7From the respective cylinders 13 and lll lead the pipes 23 and 24equipped, respectively, with check valves 25 and 26, ot the ordinaryconstruction. and said pipes communicate with the supply pipe 1. Thecylinders 13 and 14 are also provided, respectively, with relief pipes27 and 28 controlled by the ordinary valves 29 and 30, tor a purpose tobe hereinafter set forth.

Cast integral with and extending laterally from the cylinder 13 is thecylinder 31 having the plunger 32 reciprocating therein and which isfixed to the inner end of the plunger rod 33 which operates through thestutling box 3st carried by the cylinder head interposed between thcplunger 32 and the cylinder head 35 and surrounding. the plunger rod 33is a strong coil spring 36. A lever 37 is provided whichis pivoted tothe tulcrum 38. Une end of this lever is pivoted to the outer end of theplunger rod 33 and the other end has a pivotal connection with theclutch member 12.

The supply pipe 1 is connected with the cylinder 31. through the pipe 39and thc pipe 39 has a relief outlet 4t() controlled by the ordinarythree-way valve '-t'l so that the cvl inder 31 may he connected directlywith the supply pipe 1 or may be relieved of its compression through therelief` outlet 1-0.

Leading from thc supply pipe 1 is the pipe ll2 having a discharge nozzlet3 which discharges against the turbine 2 and a threevway valve 44 isprovided which controls the said pipe 42. The stem of the valve 29 hastwo arms 44 and 45 extending upwardly therefrom and the stem of thevalve 30 has the arm 46 projecting upwardly therefrom, the free ends ofthe arms 45 and 46 being connected by a link 47 whose ends are pivotedto the free ends of the respective arms 45 and 46. The Astem of thevalve 41 has an upwardly extending arm 48 and the free ends of the arms44 and 48 are connected by the link 49 whose ends'are pivoted to thefree ends of said respective arms. .The stem of the valve' 44 has anupwardly extending arm 50 andthe free ends of the arms 44 and 50 areconnectedv by the link 51 whose ends are pivoted to the free ends'of'said respective arms. A push rod 52 is provided whose lower end ispivoted to the upperend of the arm 50 and which extends up through thefoot board 53 of the vehicle and has a sliding bearing therein. Thispush rod eX tends through a cage 54 within which, and surrounding saidrod is a strong coil spring 55 which rests against the end of said cageand the collar 56 carried by the rod 52.

The operation of the device is as follows z-When it is desired to startthe engine, the push rod 52 is forced downwardly by the foot of theoperator, overcoming the resistance of the spring 55 which operatesthrough the arm 5G to open the pipe 42 and permit the compressed air topass therethrough and to start the turbine 2. At the same time thevalves 29, 30 and 41 are opened so as to relieve the pressure from thecylinders 13, 14 and 31. When the pressure is relieved fromthe cylinder31, the plunger 32 is driven back by the spring 36 with the result thatthe clutch member 1,2 is driven forward through the operation of thelever 37 and clutched with the drive wheel 9. Rotation is imparted fromthe turbine 2 to the shaft 'Tand to the clutch member 12, carriedthereby, through the gears 5 and 6. Rotation is imparted to the flyWheel of the engine from the drive wheel 9 which is in rolling contacttherewith. After the engine has started, the push rod 52, is releasedand assumes its original position through the resistance of the coilspring 55. When the push rod 52 assumes its original position, itoperates through the mechanism connected therewith, as hereinbeforedescribed, to close the pipe 42 and the relief pipes 27 and 28 and alsoto close the relief outlet 40 and to communicate the cylinder 31 withthe supply pipe 1, through the pipe 39. The air pressure driven throughthe pipev 39 will operate to force the plungerforward which will operatethrough the lever 37 to Withdraw the clutch mem-ber 12 from engagementwith the drive Wheel 9 and the rotation of the shaft 7 will be stopped.During the operation just described, the pistons 17 and 18 willreciprocate back and forth in their cylinders, but inasmuch as reliefpipes 27 and 28 are open, the reciprocation of said pistons will befree.

ln case the pressure in the storage reservoir should become too low, thedevice is arranged to automatically restore said pressure to the desiredpoint. If, while the engine is in operation, the pressure should becomelow, it is apparent that the spring 36 would operate to drive theplunger 32 backward in its cylinder, with the result that the clutchmember 12 would be clutched with the drive wheel 9 through. theoperation of the lever 37. The drive wheel 9 is constantly rotatingwhile the engine is in operation and rotation would be immediatelyimparted to the shaft 7 which would operate the air compressors, ashereinbefore described, and restore the desired compressionV to thecompression reservoir.

`What I claim is :ew

1. A device of the character described iucluding a fluid pressureturbine and means for applying fluid under compression thereto, wherebysaid turbine is rotated. a shaft, means operatively connecting saidturbine with said shaft, an engine y wheel, a rotatable member inoperative connection with said ily wheel and loosely mounted on saidshaftLa clutch member slidably mounted upon the shaft, but fixed againstrelative rotation thereon, a mechanism operatively connected with theclutch member and normally holding said member in engagement with therotatable member carried by said shaft and means for applying fluidpressure to said mechanism whereby said clutch memer is disengaged fromsaid rotatable mem- 2. A device of the character described, including afluid pressure turbine, a supply pipe for conducting fluid undercompression, means for conducting the Huid from said supply pipe anddischarging the same 'against said turbine, whereby the turbine isrotated, a shaft, means operatively connecting the turbine with theshaft, an engine and a fly Wheel carried thereby, a friction drive Wheelloosely mounted on the vshaft and in' rolling Contact with said flywheel of said engine, a clutch member slidably mounted upon said shaft,but fixed against relative rotation thereon, a mechanism operativelyconnected with the clutch member and normally holding said member inengagement with said drive Wheel, wheneby said wheel is driven by saidshaft and means for applying fluid pressure from said supply pipe tosaid mechanism, whereby said clutch member is disengaged from said drivewheel.

3. A device of the character described, including a fluid pressureturbine, a supply pipe for conducting Huid under compresnoname sion,means for conducting. the fluidirom said supply,l pipe and dischargingthe Same against said turbine, whereby the turbine is rotated, means forcontrollingthe passage of the fluid through said supply pipe, a shalt,means operatively connecting the tur" bine With the shaft, an engine, ady wheel driven by said engine, a friction drive Wheel loosely mountedon the shaft and in operative Contact with said ily Wheel, a clutchmember slidably mounted upon said shaft,

vbut hxedthereon against relative rotation,

a mechanism operatively oonneeted With the clutch member and normallyholding said member in engagement with said drive Wheel 'whereby saidWheel is driven by `said shaft and means for applying fluid pressuretrom said supplyA pipe to said mechanism, whereby said clutch member isdisf` by said engine, a friction drive Wheel loosely mounted on saidshaft and in peripheral contact with said fly Wheel of said engine tobye-started, a clutch member slidably mounted upon the shaft but xedagainst relative rotation thereto, a pivotally mounted lever, one end ofwhich has connection with said clutch member, a 4lluid compressioncylindex', a plunger thereima plunger rod fixed at one end tosaidplunger and Whose other end is pivoted to said lever, a resilient memberoperating,r against said plunger rod and normally holding said elntchmember in en'- gagement with `said drive Wheel, and means forintroducing fluid pressure in said Cylinder behind said plunger, wherebythe pressure of said resilient member is overcome and the eluteh memberdisengaged from said drive Wheel.

ln testimony whereof li have signed my name to this speciication in the.presence of two subseribin Witnesses.

E GAR F. FRUEHBECK.' `lllitnesses:

el'. AnTHUn WILLIAMS, C. G. BnRNnT'r.

